Plaid Cymru - standing up for Dwyfor-Meirionnydd

NFU Cymru was delighted to welcome Mabon ap Gwynfor MS out on a farm in his constituency to plant a tree as part of the union’s #GrowingTogether campaign.

Mabon ap Gwynfor MS recently visited Rhodri Jones’ farm near Bala to plant an oak tree, kindly supplied by Coed Cadw – The Woodland Trust in Wales, as part of NFU Cymru’s #GrowingTogether strategy for tree planting in Wales.

Against the background of ambitious targets to increase tree cover in Wales to help mitigate and adapt to the challenges presented by climate change, the #GrowingTogether initiative promotes a philosophy to future tree planting in Wales that advocates more trees integrated into farming systems – allowing food production, farming, trees, nature, landscapes and rural communities to thrive.

NFU Cymru Meirionnydd County Chair, Rhodri Jones, said: “We are delighted that Mabon ap Gwynfor MS could join us to plant a tree on the family farm.

“At NFU Cymru we firmly believe agriculture is uniquely placed to be part of the solution to climate change, and are working towards the goal of net zero agriculture by 2040, producing the most climate friendly food in the world. We recognise the vital role that our trees, hedgerows and the wider landscape will play in carbon storage to help achieve our net zero goal.

“We want to ensure that Wales’s ambitious targets for tree planting are progressed in a way that safeguards the multiple economic, environmental, social and cultural benefits that Welsh farming provides.”

Mabon ap Gwynfor MS said: “Everybody accepts that we all have to play a part in tackling both the climate and the nature crisis that is facing us. Farmers as the land managers of much of Wales have a key role to this end, and I’m glad to see the industry taking its responsibility seriously and tackling the issue head-on. Farmers know their land better than anybody else and know which parts of the farm is shrubland and what is suitable for pasture or crops. Therefore, Government and other organisations must work in a strategic way with farmers and ensure that the right tree is planted in the right place for the right reason. The right tree in the right place can provide excellent shadow for livestock, can help stop land erosion, or can improve boundaries, amongst other benefits.

“Rhodri is an example of how the industry is working with organisations like the Woodland Trust to ensure that trees work for the benefit of all.” The NFU Cymru #GrowingTogether pledge stems from the union’s Growing Together: A strategy for sustainably increasing tree cover in Wales report, launched in September 2021. The document is a blueprint identifying the barriers and opportunities that exist to deliver on these objectives while safeguarding thriving rural communities and ensuring the continued production of high quality, affordable food in Wales.

For more information about NFU Cymru’s tree strategy and the #GrowingTogether campaign, please visit the NFU Cymru website.